What You Need To Know About The Bramante’s Staircase

The Pio-Clementino Museum in the Vatican City is home to a range of exceptional artwork and marvelous attractions, but few are as popular as Bramante’s Staircase. Well, there are in fact two staircases with the same name in this museum. The original Bramante’s Staircase was built in 1505, while the modern one was built in 1932 and was based on the original.

The Original Bramante’s Staircase

Designed by the famous architect of Tuscany, Donato Bramante, the original staircase was commissioned by Pope Julius II in the early 16th century. The staircase was built in a square tower, and was designed to link the Belvedere Palace to the streets of Rome. It also allowed Pope Julius II to travel directly to his private residence by carriage. The reason this was possible is because the original staircase doesn’t have stairs, but is more of a paved ramp. What’s more is that this fascinating architectural marvel displays the double helix shape. This is the shape we most commonly relate to a strand of DNA today. Naturally, this was not where the architect drew inspiration from as DNA was only discovered and observed centuries later. The real reason for this design was for convenience. It allowed traffic to travel up on one path and down on the other to ensure that there were never any interruptions. The original staircase is an exclusive destination which makes it very difficult to visit. However, to see this master craftsmanship on such an ancient structure is amazing to say the least.

The Modern Bramante’s Staircase

Fortunately, the modern Bramante’s Staircase is entirely open to the public. Also located in the Pio-Clementino Museum, this staircase marks the end of a museum visit, and is the route that all visitors take when leaving the building. It really is quite something to stand at the very top of this enormous staircase and watch as streams of people descend to the ground floor. This staircase was designed by Giuseppe Momo in 1932 and displays very similar features to the original. It replicates the double helix shape, although in this instance it just allows two separate groups of people to descend together. However, it is not a ramp like the original, and does have low-profile steps for all the people who visit.

There are countless things to see and do in the Vatican City, with art, architecture and endless historical sights to see. Bramante’s staircase in the Pio-Clementino Museum is where all three of these things come together.